System and method for using navigational and other commands on a mobile communication device

ABSTRACT

A wireless handheld communication device having a housing containing a display screen located above a physical keyboard. The keyboard includes a plurality of physical keys and corresponding indicia. Some of the keys are associated with alphabetic characters corresponding to a QWERTY array of letters A-Z and some are associated with numeric characters 0-9 corresponding to a telephone keypad arrangement. At least some of the keys associated with numeric characters are overlaid on the physical keys associated with alphabetic characters. A microprocessor is included that runs the device in at least a telephony mode, an email mode and at least one additional mode. The microprocessor displays a key-function map on the display screen indicative of enabled functions associated with particular physical keys of the keyboard which are different from any function signified by the indicia associated with the respective particular physical key.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/532,409, filed Sep. 15, 2006, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application Nos. 60/724,458 and 60/755,268 filed Oct. 7,2005 and Dec. 30, 2005, respectively, the disclosures of which arehereby expressly incorporated by reference.

FIELD

This disclosure concerns a navigational system and a shortcut helpscreen for an electronic device. In particular, this disclosure concernsa navigational system and shortcut help screen for the keyboard of ahandheld mobile communication device.

BACKGROUND

Current mobile communication devices have programmed shortcut commandsthat are associated with keys on the keyboard. A shortcut command asused in this specification is a command that is associated with a keybut that is not printed on the key. Because the shortcut information isnot printed on the keys, a user must memorize the shortcut informationor look the information up in a manual before using the commands. Manyusers are not even aware that the shortcut commands are present on thedevice.

The shortcut commands are useful because they allow a user to navigatewithin certain modes of the device more easily and provide additionalfunctions, such as functions that were previously associated withnavigation keys present on a device housing or as a separate part of thekeyboard, or for other functions that would otherwise require severalkey presses or navigation through a menu to activate. Typically, thesame shortcut keys are not used throughout all applications on a device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary methods and arrangements conducted and configured according tothe advantageous solutions presented herein are depicted in theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary mobile communication device ofthe types disclosed herein;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the example mobile communication device ofFIG. 1, showing some example shortcut functions associated with the keysof the keyboard;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the example mobile communication device ofFIG. 1, showing a shortcut help screen for multiple applications ormodes on the display;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the example mobile communication device ofFIG. 1, showing a second shortcut help screen for a game on the display;

FIG. 5 is front view of the example mobile communication device of FIG.1, showing a shortcut customization or programming screen on thedisplay;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the example mobile communication device ofFIG. 1, showing the shortcut commands on the screen of the display whenin calculator mode; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic for an example mobile communication deviceoperating in a wireless communication system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure concerns a mobile communication device having a reducedformat keyboard as described, for example, in U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/785,790, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety. A reduced format keyboard includes alphabeticcharacters A-Z that are arranged in a standard alphabetic keyboardformat, for example, a QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, or DVORAK format. Thealphabetic characters are presented on fewer than twenty-six keys, suchthat some alphabetic characters share keys with other alphabeticcharacters. The keyboard also includes a numeric phone arrangement ofnumbers 0-9. The mobile communication device may be used for sending andreceiving phone calls and for sending and receiving emails, among othertypes of messages, such as SMS or otherwise. A keyboard includingtwenty-six keys for the twenty-six letters of the alphabet may also beutilized with the teachings of this disclosure.

Shortcut commands can be used in the phone mode, email mode, SMS mode,internet browser mode, typing mode, calendar mode, scheduling mode, orgame mode. Other modes are also anticipated to derive benefit from thisdisclosure, which is not limited to only these modes. These commands mayinclude navigational commands or other functions such as copy, paste,mode switch, mute, compose message, reply, forward message, reply toall, among others. Some of the shortcut commands, such as thenavigational commands, can be used throughout all applications. Theshortcut commands can be triggered by pressing or holding a second key,or in some applications the shortcut command may be the primary functionof the key, and the command may be triggered without pressing anyadditional key. Shortcut commands are particularly beneficial in reducedkeyboards because there are fewer keys for implementing the manyfunctions that today's users require.

The examples described herein concern a technique for displayinginstructions on the display screen of a mobile communication device inorder to make the shortcut commands more readily usable. Theinstructions provide visual mapping to the keys to allow the user toselect functions associated with particular keys in each mode. Adifferent set of instructions may be provided for each mode, andtherefore context specific.

FIG. 1 shows an example mobile device 110 that has a keypad 111 and adisplay screen 113. The keys of the keypad include a reduced QWERTYletter arrangement. Indicia associated with each key are displayed onthe keys. An ITU standard E.161 numeric phone key layout is overlaid onthe three middle columns of the keypad.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a plurality of shortcut commands are programmedin the example mobile communication device 110 and are shown on thekeypad 111. The commands shown in FIG. 2 are not actually printed on thekeys, but are only illustrative of their shortcut functions. The indiciashown in FIG. 1, on the other hand, would in fact be present on the faceof the keys. The key labeled 112 is associated with two shortcutcommands: reply, when in the e-mail mode, and mute, when in the phonemode. The key labeled 114 will open a message replying to all whenpressed in e-mail mode. The key labeled 116 also has two shortcutfunctions: turning the speakerphone on or off in the phone mode, andforwarding an e-mail in e-mail mode. The key labeled 118 will open a newe-mail message when pressed in the e-mail mode. Pressing the wide key120 at the top of the keypad 111 will command the mobile communicationdevice 110 to start the internet browser mode. This shortcut may beeffective in all modes to serve the same function. The key labeled 122has the shortcut function of switching from a multiple tap mode to apredictive text mode for typing on a reduced format keyboard. The words“(hold)” indicate that to activate this shortcut the key must be helddown for a short time. Holding down the wide key 124 at the bottom ofthe keypad 111 has the shortcut function of inserting a plus symbol inthe phone mode.

The remaining shortcut commands on the example mobile communicationdevice 110 are navigational shortcuts. These commands are usefulthroughout all modes of this example mobile communication device 110.The shortcut function of the key labeled 131 will cause the current viewto scroll all the way to the top of the material displayed on thedisplay screen 113, also referred to herein as the graphical userinterface. This key 131 is paired with the key labeled 135, which willscroll all the way to the bottom of the graphical user interface. Theshortcut function for the key labeled 133 will move the view or thecursor to a previous item, which may move the cursor or the view to theleft as indicated by the arrow. This key 133 is paired with the keylabeled 141, which has the shortcut function of moving the cursor orview to the next item, which may be to the right. The shortcut functionof the keys labeled 137 and 145 will move a cursor or view up or down,respectively. The shortcut function of the keys labeled 139 and 143 willcause the view to move up or down, respectively, by an approximatescreen size.

As shown in FIG. 3, the device is programmed such that a shortcut helpscreen 150 displays on the display screen 113 when a user is in need ofassistance with the shortcut functions associated with the keys. Theshortcut help screen 150 shows a virtual representation or mapping ofthe keyboard 111. In this example, the virtual representation depictskeys with approximate shapes and sizes of the keys on the keyboard 111.In other examples, the shortcut help screen may convey help informationin some other manner that informs the user of the functions that arerelated to one or more keys.

In this example, there is a virtual representation or mapping of theentire keyboard 111. However, in other examples, only a portion of thekeyboard 111 may be represented. For example, only the keys that haveshortcut navigational function may be virtually represented on the helpscreen. This would be a more specific help screen that only conveysnavigational information to the user. In another example, such as thecalculator function depicted in FIG. 6, only the bottom four rows arevirtually represented on the display screen. By not virtuallyrepresenting all of the keys on the keypad but only the portion that isassociated with shortcut functions, there is extra space on the screenfor viewing the underlying application. This extra space could also beutilized by representing the keys in a larger view. This would bebeneficial for displaying longer shortcut messages on each key.

The shortcut help screen 150 can be displayed on the screen 113 eitherautomatically, such as when a user switches modes, or by command of theuser. With the latter, the user enters a command which is easilymemorized on the keyboard 111 or elsewhere on the device 110, and theshortcut help information may then be displayed on the screen 113, withcontext specific instructions depending upon the mode that the device110 is operating in. In one example, a control key such as the currentalt key 151 may be activated by a user in order to pull up the shortcuthelp information. It is beneficial if a single key, such as a “hot key,”is used to pull up the shortcut help information in each mode, but it isalso possible that different keys could be utilized to pull up theshortcut help information. It is desired that the control key commandthat allows the user to pull up the shortcut help screen 150 on thedisplay screen 113 be easy for a user to remember so that a user is nolonger required to remember all the shortcut commands.

The shortcut help screen 150 may automatically terminate when the userselects one of the shortcut keys. For example, if the user is in messagemode, the user may select the “top” shortcut key. This may automaticallycause the shortcut help screen 150 to disappear and reveal the emailmessage that is being navigated. The shortcut help screen 150 may alsoterminate to reveal the content of the underlying program mode uponcommand of the user, such as by tapping the ALT key. Alternatively, theshortcut help screen 150 may terminate after a short time period. Eitheror a combination of techniques may be provided. In addition, athumbwheel (typically installed on the side of the device or elsewhereon the device (not shown)) or other auxiliary input device may beutilized in connection with the shortcut help screen 150 either as acontrol key, to assist in clearing the navigational information from thescreen, or in a different manner.

The example help screen 150 shown in FIG. 3 combines some shortcuts thatare used across all applications or modes, and some shortcuts that areused only in one or a few applications or modes. An alternative to thisis to program multiple shortcut help screens for each mode of theexample device 110. In that case, the example device 110 wouldbeneficially be programmed to determine which mode or application wascurrent and open the help screen associated with the current mode.Alternatively, if desired, the user could manually select a help screen.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a game may have a shortcut help screen250 that informs the user of the functions of the keys when the gamebecomes active. This help screen 250 does not show the other shortcutfunctions when the device 110 is in other modes or running otherapplications, but is tailored to only the game application. Thisshortcut help screen 250 does not show the entire keypad 111, but only aselected portion. In particular, for example, it does not include thetop three keys. Other game applications that may be available to run onthe mobile communication device 110 may have different help screens thatare specific to each particular game. Programs that include a helpscreen could be downloaded or ported in some other way to the examplemobile communication device 110.

Another feature, namely, programming to allow user-configuration ofshortcuts, may be provided on the example mobile communication device110 and may be used in conjunction with the help screen feature. Theexample mobile device 110 includes programming that allows users toconfigure and link shortcut functions to certain applications. Forexample, a separate user configuration program may be provided forcustomizing shortcut keys. The device would implement the user-enteredinformation by associating new shortcut functions with the specifiedkeys in the specified modes or application and generate a customizedhelp screen associated with the application or mode.

In FIG. 5, an example configuration screen 260 is shown on the displayscreen 113. For example, the programming may provide for a mode field262 for a user to select a mode or application. This may be selected byscrolling through a list with the thumbwheel of the device and pressingthe thumbwheel when the item to be selected is displayed or highlighted.After selecting a mode or application, a list of functions thatcorrespond to the chosen application or mode populates a function field264. The user then selects a function from the field 264 in the same ora different manner. Finally, the user selects a key to associate withthe chosen function of the chosen mode. The key selection may, forexample, be made by moving a cursor 268 over a virtual representation ofthe keyboard 266 and selecting it. The customizable shortcut keys may beprovided in addition to preprogrammed shortcut keys.

The mobile communication device may include programming to automaticallygenerate a custom help screen based on the information entered by theuser. The custom help screen may be a single screen displayed in allmodes that shows all the shortcut commands, such as the help screen 150of FIG. 2, or there may be multiple custom help screens that eachcorrespond to an associated mode, such as the help screen of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 depicts shortcut commands that are present in the calculator mode20. The calculator mode 20 may be entered by any method. In one example,the user scrolls through a list of options on the display screen and mayhighlight and select the “calculator” function, which puts the deviceinto calculator mode 20. While the user can input numbers using the keys111 that are already labeled with numbers, other functions associatedwith calculator functions are not readily evident from the face of thekeypad 111. For example, multiplication (×) 22, division (÷) 24,subtraction (−) 26, and addition (+) 28 symbols are not present on thekeys 111 of the keypad. The keypad, however, is programmed in calculatormode 20 such that some keys serve as shortcuts for these and otherfunctions.

Examples of the shortcuts are depicted on the reference screen 34 of thedisplay 113 in FIG. 6. The shortcut commands depicted include memoryfunctions, 1/x, ÷, square root, percentage, ÷, +, −, =, DEL, CE/C, . . ., and ±. A shift key 30 is also provided in the same place on thekeyboard as is labeled on the keys, to allow some of the keys to servemultiple functions. When the shift key is selected, the functionsidentified on the top part of the dual function keys is selected (seekeys 22, 24, 26, 28, for example). Other calculator functions may bealternatively utilized. For example, the top three keys in the upper row32 could also be used in calculator mode 20 for additional functions,such as business or mathematic functions, among other functions. Thecalculator shortcuts are not limited to only those which are shown.Other or additional calculator functions may alternatively be used. Inaddition, while the numbered keys correspond to the numbers shown on thedisplay 113, it is possible that the numbers associated with keys couldbe different from what is printed on the keys when in calculator mode20. For example, the calculator numbers could be associated with theleft three columns or the right three columns of keys in a calculatormode 20. The user would then use the reference screen 34 to select theappropriate numbers and functions.

The display 113 in FIG. 6 includes the shortcut commands on thereference screen 34 and other keys associated with the calculator, andalso includes a box 36 near the top of the display where numbers andresults are displayed. Thus, the display 113 in this case serves as botha navigational screen via the reference help screen portion 34 and adisplay screen 36 for displaying the results of the calculation. Thecalculator help screen in a preferred example stays visible on thedisplay screen as long as the calculator function is selected.

The mobile communication devices presented in FIGS. 1-6 include similarfeatures, such as a housing, a keyboard, and an output device. These andother features are shown schematically in FIG. 7. The output deviceshown is a display 113, which is preferably a full graphic LCD. Othertypes of output devices may alternatively be utilized. A processingdevice 318, which is shown schematically in FIG. 7, is contained withinthe housing 312 and is coupled between the keyboard 314 and the display113. The processing device 318 controls the operation of the display113, as well as the overall operation of the mobile communication device110, in response to actuation of keys on the keyboard 314 by the user.

The housing 312 may be elongated vertically, or may take on other sizesand shapes, including a clamshell housing structure, among otherstructures. The keyboard may include a mode selection key, or otherhardware or software for switching between text entry and telephonyentry.

In addition to the processing device 318, other parts of the mobilecommunication device 110 are shown schematically in FIG. 7. Theseinclude a communications subsystem 400; a short-range communicationssubsystem 402; the keyboard 314 and the display 113, along with otherinput/output devices 406, 408, 410, and 412; memory devices 416, 418;and various other device subsystems 420. The mobile communication device110 is preferably a two-way RF communication device having voice anddata communication capabilities. In addition, the mobile communicationdevice 110 preferably has the capability to communicate with othercomputer systems via the Internet.

Operating system software executed by the processing device 318 ispreferably stored in a persistent store, such as a flash memory 416, butmay be stored in other types of memory devices such as a read onlymemory (ROM) or similar storage element. In addition, system software,specific device applications, or parts thereof, may be temporarilyloaded into a volatile store such as a random access memory (RAM) 418.Communication signals received by the mobile communication device mayalso be stored to the RAM 418.

The processing device 318, in addition to its operating systemfunctions, enables execution of software applications 430A-430N on thedevice 110. A predetermined set of applications that control basicdevice operations, such as data and voice communications 430A and 430B,may be installed on the device 110 during manufacture. In addition, apersonal information manager (PIM) application may be installed duringmanufacture. The PIM is preferably capable of organizing and managingdata items such as e-mail, calendar events, voice mails, appointments,and task items. The PIM application is also preferably capable ofsending and receiving data items via a wireless network 440. Preferably,the PIM data items are seamlessly integrated, synchronized, and updatedvia the wireless network 440 with the device user's corresponding dataitems stored or associated with a host computer system. An examplesystem and method for accomplishing these steps is disclosed in “SystemAnd Method For Pushing Information From A Host System To A Mobile DeviceHaving A Shared Electronic Address,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,694, which isowned by the assignee of the present application and incorporated hereinby reference.

Communication functions, including data and voice communications, areperformed through the communication subsystem 400 and possibly throughthe short-range communications subsystem. The communication subsystem400 includes a receiver 450, a transmitter 452, and one or more antennas454, 456. In addition, the communication subsystem 400 also includes aprocessing module such as a digital signal processor (DSP) 458 and localoscillators (LOs) 460. The specific design and implementation of thecommunication subsystem 400 is dependent upon the communication networkin which the mobile communication device 110 is intended to operate. Forexample, a mobile communication device 110 may include a communicationsubsystem 400 designed to operate with the Mobitex™, Data TAC™ orGeneral Packet Radio Service (GPRS) mobile data communication networksand also designed to operate with any of a variety of voicecommunication networks such as AMPS, TDMA, CDMA, PCS, GSM, etc. Othertypes of data and voice networks, both separate and integrated, may alsobe utilized with the mobile communication device 110.

Network access requirements vary depending upon the type ofcommunication system. For example, in the Mobitex and DataTAC networks,mobile devices are registered on the network using a unique personalidentification number or PIN associated with each device. In GPRSnetworks, however, network access is associated with a subscriber oruser of a device. A GPRS device therefore requires a subscriber identitymodule, commonly referred to as a SIM card, in order to operate on aGPRS network.

When required network registration or activation procedures have beencompleted, the mobile communication device 110 may send and receivecommunication signals over the communication network 440. Signalsreceived from the communication network 440 by the antenna 454 arerouted to the receiver 450, which provides for signal amplification,frequency down-conversion, filtering, channel selection, etc., and mayalso provide analog-to-digital conversion. Analog-to-digital conversionof the received signal allows the DSP 458 to perform more complexcommunication functions such as demodulation and decoding. In a similarmanner, signals to be transmitted to the network 440 are processed (e.g.modulated and encoded) by the DSP 458 and are then provided to thetransmitter 452 for digital-to-analog conversion, frequencyup-conversion, filtering, amplification, and transmission to thecommunication network 440 (or networks) via the antenna 456.

In addition to processing communication signals, the DSP 458 providesfor control of the receiver 450 and the transmitter 452. For example,gains applied to communication signals in the receiver 450 andtransmitter 452 may be adaptively controlled through automatic gaincontrol algorithms implemented in the DSP 458.

In a data communication mode, a received signal such as a text messageor web page download is processed by the communication subsystem 400 andis input to the processing device 318. The received signal is thenfurther processed by the processing device 318 for an output to thedisplay 113, or alternatively to some other auxiliary I/O device 406. Adevice user may also compose data items such as e-mail messages usingthe keyboard 314 and/or some other auxiliary I/O device 406 such as atouchpad, a rocker switch, a thumb-wheel, or other type of input device.The composed data items may then be transmitted over the communicationnetwork 440 via the communication subsystem 400.

In a voice communication mode, overall operation of the device issubstantially similar to the data communication mode except thatreceived signals are output to a speaker 410 and signals fortransmission are generated by a microphone 412. Alternative voice oraudio I/O subsystems such as a voice message recording subsystem mayalso be implemented on the device 110. In addition, the display 113 mayalso be utilized in voice communication mode, for example to display theidentity of a calling party, the duration of a voice call, or othervoice call related information.

The short-range communications subsystem enables communication betweenthe mobile communication device 110 and other proximate systems ordevices, which need not necessarily be similar devices. For example, theshort-range communications subsystem may include an infrared device andassociated circuits and components, or a Bluetooth™ communication moduleto provide for communication with similarly enabled systems and devices.

While various features of the claimed embodiments are presented above,it should be understood that the features may be used singly or in anycombination thereof. Therefore, the claimed embodiments are not to belimited to only the specific embodiments depicted herein.

Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications mayoccur to those skilled in the art to which the claimed embodimentspertain. The embodiments described herein are exemplary. The disclosuremay enable those skilled in the art to make and use embodiments havingalternative elements that likewise correspond to the elements recited inthe claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: identifying an activeapplication selected from a plurality of applications on a device;rendering on a display of the device a set of buttons; overlaying firstshortcut command indicia on corresponding buttons of the set of buttons,the first shortcut command indicia corresponding to shortcut commandfunctions associated with the active application; overlaying secondshortcut command indicia on at least one remaining button of the set ofbuttons, the second shortcut command indicia corresponding to shortcutcommand functions available to the plurality of applications, the atleast one remaining button that corresponds to the second shortcutcommand functions being rendered on the display in a different screenthan the set of buttons that correspond to the first shortcut commandfunctions; and prompting a user to enter customized shortcut commandfunctions for use with the active application.
 2. The method of claim 1,further comprising: receiving a request to enter the customized shortcutcommand functions; and rendering a menu for selecting customizedshortcut command functions associated with the active application. 3.The method of claim 1, further comprising: overlaying customizedshortcut command indicia on selected buttons of the set of buttons. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein the active application is a calculatorapplication and the first shortcut command indicia corresponds toshortcut command functions available to the calculator application. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of available applicationsincludes at least one of a telephone application, an email application,a texting application, a browser application, a calendar application, ascheduling application, and a game application.
 6. The method of claim1, wherein the customized shortcut command functions include at leastone of a copy function, a paste function, a mode switch function, a mutefunction, a compose message function, a reply function, a forwardmessage function, and a reply function.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein the second shortcut command indicia are associated withnavigation command functions.
 8. A computer-readable storage devicehaving stored therein instructions which, when executed by a computingdevice, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:identifying an active application selected from a plurality ofapplications on the computing device; rendering on a display of thecomputing device a set of buttons; overlaying first shortcut commandindicia on corresponding buttons of the set of buttons, the firstshortcut command indicia corresponding to shortcut command functionsassociated with the active application; overlaying second shortcutcommand indicia on at least one remaining button of the set of buttons,the second shortcut command indicia corresponding to shortcut commandfunctions available to other applications in the plurality ofapplications, the at least one remaining button that corresponds to thesecond shortcut command functions being rendered on the display in adifferent screen than the set of buttons that correspond to the firstshortcut command functions; and prompting a user to enter customizedshortcut command functions for use with the active application.
 9. Thecomputer-readable storage device of claim 8, the instructions causingthe computing device to perform operations further comprising: receivinga request to enter the customized shortcut command functions; andrendering a menu for selecting customized shortcut command functionsassociated with the active application.
 10. The computer-readablestorage device of claim 8, the instructions causing the computing deviceto perform operations further comprising: overlaying customized shortcutcommand indicia on selected buttons of the set of buttons.
 11. Thecomputer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the activeapplication is a calculator application and the first shortcut commandindicia corresponds to shortcut command functions available to thecalculator application.
 12. The computer-readable storage device ofclaim 8, wherein the plurality of available applications includes atleast one of a telephone application, an email application, a textingapplication, a browser application, a calendar application, a schedulingapplication, and a game application.
 13. The computer-readable storagedevice of claim 8, wherein the customized shortcut command functionsinclude at least one of a copy function, a paste function, a mode switchfunction, a mute function, a compose message function, a reply function,a forward message function, and a reply function.
 14. Thecomputer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the second shortcutcommand indicia are associated with navigation command functions.
 15. Asystem comprising: a display; a processor; a memory device storing aplurality of applications and storing instructions which, when executedby the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:identifying an active application selected from a plurality ofapplications on a device; rendering on a display of the device a set ofbuttons; overlaying first shortcut command indicia on correspondingbuttons of the set of buttons, the first shortcut command indiciacorresponding to shortcut command functions associated with the activeapplication; overlaying second shortcut command indicia on at least oneremaining button of the set of buttons, the second shortcut commandindicia corresponding to shortcut command functions available to otherapplications in the plurality of applications, the at least oneremaining button that corresponds to the second shortcut commandfunctions being rendered on the display in a different screen than theset of buttons that correspond to the first shortcut command functions;and prompting a user to enter customized shortcut command functions foruse with the active application.
 16. The system of claim 15, theinstructions, when executed by the processor, further causing theprocessor to perform operations comprising: receiving a request to enterthe customized shortcut command functions; and rendering a menu forselecting customized shortcut command functions associated with theactive application.
 17. The system of claim 15, the instructions, whenexecuted by the processor, further causing the processor to performoperations comprising: overlaying customized shortcut command indicia onselected buttons of the set of buttons.
 18. The system of claim 15,wherein the active application is a calculator application and the firstshortcut command indicia corresponds to shortcut command functionsavailable to the calculator application.
 19. The system of claim 15,wherein the plurality of available applications includes at least one ofa telephone application, an email application, a texting application, abrowser application, a calendar application, a scheduling application,and a game application.
 20. The system of claim 15, wherein thecustomized shortcut command functions include at least one of a copyfunction, a paste function, a mode switch function, a mute function, acompose message function, a reply function, a forward message function,and a reply function.